page_title: Music Hall Strike of 1907
section_title: The strike
hierarchical_section_title: Music Hall Strike of 1907 / The strike
caption_attribution_description: English: British actress Marie Lloyd, on a postcard
context_page_description: The Music Hall Strike of 1907 was a theatrical dispute which took place between music hall employees, stage artistes and London theatre proprietors. The catalyst for the strikes were the employees' lack of pay, the scrapping of perks, and an increase in working hours, and matinée performances.
  The strike commenced on 22 January 1907 at the Holborn Empire in London and lasted for two weeks. The dispute gained momentum owing to the support from popular entertainers including Marie Dainton, Marie Lloyd, Arthur Roberts, Joe Elvin and Gus Elen, all of whom were active on picket lines outside both London and provincial theatres.
  The strikes ended two weeks later and resulted in a rise in pay and better working conditions for both stage workers and artistes.
context_section_description: The first significant rift came in 1906, when the Variety Artistes' Federation initiated a brief strike on behalf of its members. Tensions between employees and management had by then grown to such a level that the strike was advocated enthusiastically by the main spokesmen for the trade union and Labour movement – Ben Tillett and Keir Hardie.  Picket lines were organised into shifts outside theatres by workers and artistes.  The news reached provincial theatres and managers attempted to convince their artistes to sign a contract promising never to join a trade union. The following year, the federation fought for more freedom and better working conditions on behalf of music-hall performers.
  On 21 January 1907, the dispute between artists, stage hands and managers of the Holborn Empire had worsened, and workers called for strike action. In support, theatrical workers followed suit and initiated widespread strikes across London. The disputes were funded by wealthy performers including Marie Lloyd. To raise spirits, Lloyd frequently performed on picket lines for free and took part in fundraising activities at among others the Scala Theatre in London, for which she donated her entire fee to the fund. Lloyd explained her advocacy: "We the stars can dictate our own terms. We are fighting not for ourselves, but for the poorer members of the profession, earning thirty shillings to £3 a week. For this they have to do double turns, and now matinées have been added as well. These poor things have been compelled to submit to unfair terms of employment, and I mean to back up the federation in whatever steps are taken."
caption: Marie Lloyd
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